A Little Girl
by Orca15
Summary: What would happen if there was a women... and a little girl... what if Speed's bloodline could go on... "Speed/OC" "A must read for the lovers of Speed"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami and it's cherictors. **

**I do, however, own Cassie Night, Bethany Night, Payton Carter... well, anything you don't recognize. If you want to use any of my original cherictors, just ask. **

Chapter 1

Belen, New Mexico.  
Cassie Night didn't know exactly where she was going or what exactly she was going to do. But, she knew that she had things she had to do to make it in this world. She glanced at her little girl, Bethany, and smiled. "Bethany, Mommy's gonna be gone for a few day's, but, I'll be back." And I'm hoping to bring Daddy home with me. She thought but didn't say because she didn't want to get the little girls hopes up.  
"where are you going?" Bethany asked.  
"Mommy just has some stuff to do. Don't worry, you and Grandma are going to have fun."  
"okay"  
"I love you honey"  
"I love you too Mommy." Cassie walked to her Hummer and drove off. She was going to be more then a few days, but Bethany didn't have to know that, she wouldn't understand. So, Cassie drove on her way to Miami Florida by herself, the first time that she had left her little girl. She was going in search of Bethany's father, Tim Speedle. She left Belen New Mexico.

_Flashback  
_Four years ago  
Cassie sat with Tim 'Speed' Speedle and smiled weakly, she knew there was something wrong, but she didn't know what it was. She had gotten herself into a mess with this man. She's 16; he was 26, a ten year difference that she tended to ignore way too much. She sometimes forgot she was only 16 and acted like an adult often. But, Speed didn't seem to mind. In fact, she often felt as if he liked it. Maybe it was because he knew the relationship was illegal and he could get into trouble. "we need to talk" they both said at the same time.  
"you first" he said.  
"no you first" she said for two reasons, one: she didn't want him pressured by what she was going to say. And two: she was putting off what she needed to say.  
"this isn't going to work. None of your family like's me. The all know I'm too old for you. You deserve better then me. My life is taking wild turns while yours is still going straight. I got a job offer in Miami, and I'm going to take it. I'm sorry but, it's for your own good."  
"so, just like that, it's over, we spend a year dating. You promise me that we'll be together forever and then you just walk out on me?" she fought back tears. There's no way I'm telling him what I was going too.  
"not just like that, I spent a lot of time thinking about it. You have so much to live for, you have your whole life ahead of you."  
"I'm sorry, but, I thought you were going to be there my whole life." She felt immature as she threw his previous word's back at him.  
"I'm sorry Cas. I have to go, Goodbye." He got up and walked to his car, she watched him drive off. Now your really screwed Cas! You have a baby on the way with no father to help.  
_End Flashback_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami... **

**I do own my original cherictors... **

Cassie drove down the road and cried thinking back to that day she had been so immature to think that he would actually stick around with a 16 year old. But, she hoped beyond hope that things had changed a little at least he would want to be a part of his little girls life.

Flashback

_A little over three years ago_  
Cassie put one of her best friends name on the birth certificate and never looked back on how she had gotten pregnant or how he had left her. She never looked to the future and how she was going to provide for Bethany or how she was going to raise a little girl. She just lived everyday for what it was and enjoyed her little girl.  
End Flashback

She sat in the hotel room that night and thought. _Where did I go wrong in my life? What mistakes did I make that I couldn't 'fix'? you're pathetic Cas!_ She lay down on the bed and thought back once again.

Flashback  
_two years ago_  
She smiled at Bethany as she tried her hardest to blow out her candle on her first birthday cake. _If only Tim were here to see this. _Later that day she was standing in the kitchen with her Payton Carter. "Maybe you should just call him." he suggested. Payton had been there all the way. He'd let her put his name on the birth certificate, even if it meant that he had to spend time in jail for Statutory Rape because he was nearly twice her age. He'd helped her out of a couple of jams and he'd been there to support her.  
"Because I can't. Can you imagine how that would go? Hey Tim, I had your kid six month's after you left and put my best friends name on the birth certificate, he served three month's in prison for you, just so you wouldn't know you had a little girl. By the way, my friend is still trying to get his job re-instated because he lost it when I put his name down as her father. He'll never get his respect back as a Deputy."  
"I never regretted one moment of that. And it's your loss. But, I think he deserves to know." Payton sat his cup on the counter and walked back to the living room to play with Bethany.  
End Flashback


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami... **

**I do own my original cherictors... **

Cassie ran the streets of Miami, trying to at least get in a four mile run before going to find Tim. She ran and thought back to the last time she and Tim an together.

Flashback  
Tim and Mary were running side by side trying to see who could go longer without stopping. It was a game they played often. An immature game if you think about it. They turned on the fourth mile marker and ran back towards her house, they knew neither of them could run more then seven miles, so, they went four out and ran back to her house, they usually did a mile cool down walk. Mary tripped about a mile back and landed on her face. Time helped her up but she couldn't put her weight on her right leg, she had re-injured her ankle. She tried walking on it but couldn't without help. "okay, your not walking alone on that ankle." Tim said as he stood on her right side and she limped the last two miles home. Cassie sat down on the couch when she got home and Tim got some ice to put on her ankle. "your still the most beautiful women I have ever met." There was a knock on the door. Tim went to answer it. Payton walked in, the second he noticed the ice on Cassie's ankle he panicked.  
"Cas!" he exclaimed. "what happened?"  
"I fell." she said quietly, knowing what was running through Payton's mind. "It'll be healed by the Fun Run. Don't worry."  
"I'm not worried about that. But, it better."  
"It will, I wouldn't miss it for the world." she smiled at her best friend who gave Tim an accusing glance.  
End Flashback


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami... **

**I do own my original cherictors... **

Cassie walked into the Miami Dade Crime lab lobby. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him. _If he's even here._ She looked around. _Don't think like that. _"Can I help you?" a male voice asked from behind her. She turned to see a man. He was in his late forty's-early fifty's. He had red hair and blue eye's. He was short for a man of that age, but, maybe that was just because he had his head tilted to the side a bit, hands on his hips with a pair of sunglasses in his right hand.  
"I don't know." Cassie said. "I'm looking for Tim Speedle." The man made eye contact with her.  
"May I ask who is looking for him?"  
"Cassie Night. I'm from New Mexico."  
"Lt. Horatio Caine." He offered his hand. "I'll get Speed for you." _Speed! she hadn't referred to him as that for a long time. _"Take a seat please." She sat in the chair that he motioned to and waited. While she waited she pulled a picture of Bethany out of her purse. Ten minute's passed. She felt the pressense of someone else in the room and looked up at the sound of a familiar voice saying.  
"Cas?" she looked into his eye's. Standing in front of her was a man, dark hair un-brushed, dark brown eye's shining, a small smile on his face. She wandered what to say. All that came out was.  
"Tim."  
Cassie just stood and stared at Tim. "Wow Cas, I didn't expect to see you here." Tim said.  
"what did you expect?" she asked.  
"I expected you to move on."  
"I did. just not how your thinking."  
"could you cut to the point? I have a little boy to look for."  
"how 'bout looking for this little girl?" she showed him the picture of Bethany.  
"how long has she been missing?" he looked at the picture that he now held.  
"she's not missing. Look at the picture."  
"I am"  
"not very close. Look at HER." she insisted. "Look closer. Who does she look like?"  
"you"  
"Tim, look in a mirror will you!" she tossed her compact mirror at him.  
"Cas, who's her father?" he asked even though she could see in his eye's that he already knew. That it had finally sunk in. _Answer him_ she felt like she'd lost her voice. "I am aren't I?" she nodded her head.  
"Tim. She was kidnapped three month's ago. I got her back. but, it made me realize that she needs her father. She need's YOU."  
"Why?"  
"Why what? Why did I have a baby? Why did I put someone else's name on the birth certificate so you wouldn't know about her? Why did I come? why what?"  
"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"  
"Because I was going too the day you left. And you said you were leaving" she paused. "I didn't think you would care."  
"Cas I..." his cell phone rang. "Hang on." he picked up the phone. "I have to take this." he answered it. "Speedle... What?... Okay, I'll be right out... got it." he hung up. "I have to go. Where can I reach you later?" she picked up her purse and pulled out a notebook and wrote her cell number on it and gave it to him. "Okay, sorry." he tried to hand her the picture and the compact mirror.  
"Keep it." she said taking her compact mirror back. "I have more." he nodded and headed out the door. No goodbye or I'll talk to you later. Nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami... **

**I do own my original cherictors... **

Cassie waited in the hotel for Tim to call. It was around three in the afternoon when she got bored and turned the TV on to a local News Channel. She was hoping for a weather update. What she got was even more then that. "Welcome to CNN news." The news anchor said. "I'm Annie Clark. We have breaking news. There has been a police shooting in Dade county." Cassie's curiosity spiked. "On the scene is Alicia Dradin. Alicia?" The picture changed. Cassie noticed Lt. Caine in the background. Her heart skipped a beat.  
"Annie, I'm on the scene at a Jewelry store in Dade County. It has been confirmed that there is one officer who was shot and killed. But, we do not have a name of that officer. Stay tuned to CNN for more on this breaking story. This is Alicia Dradin on the scene of a tragic police shooting. Annie, back to you." Cassie turned the television set off. _I hope Tim is alright._

The next day, after not hearing from Tim, Cassie went back to the crime lab. She walked up to the desk. "Can I help you?" the secretary asked.  
"I hope so." Cassie replied sadly. "I'm looking for Tim Speedle."  
"One moment please." She picked up a phone. "Yes. There's a lady here looking for CSI Speedle." Cassie knew something terrible had happened. She knew in her heart. "Thank you." she hung up the phone. "Someone will be out in a moment." Cassie nodded. Her heart ached. She knew she had come too late. She sat down on the bench she had occupied the day before. Moments later a women came out. She was shorter then Cassie by a good two inches. She had long blond hair, pretty blue eyes, and a sad smile on her face. She walked over to Cassie.  
"You're looking for Tim Speedle?" the women's southern accent was tinted with sadness.  
"Yes." Cassie replied as she stood up.  
"I'm CSI Calleigh Duquesne."  
"Cassie Night." the two women shook hands.  
"Are you a relative of his?"  
"It depends on how you classify relative. I'm his ex and the mother of his daughter. Is he okay? I heard on the news that an officer had been killed."  
"Speed is dead." CSI Duquesne said bluntly. "I'm sorry for your loss ma'am."  
"No." Cassie said unbelievingly.  
"I'm so sorry. Speed was a good man."  
"No kidding there."  
"He talked about you often. Well, a lot when he first came. I thought I had recognized you from the picture."  
"Picture?"  
"Yeah, he carried a picture of you and him together. He said it reminded him of mistakes in his life that he couldn't change, but he didn't want to do it again."  
"That's because I was 16 when he came here. Little did he know, I was pregnant when he left."  
"Really?"  
"Yes ma'am. Bethany Rose." she held out a picture. "He didn't know about her till yesterday."  
"He had a picture of her in his pocket." CSI Duquesne said softly.  
"I gave it to him yesterday when I saw him."  
"Again. I'm sorry."  
"Do I need to stay in Miami?"  
"no; the case has already been closed. You were just here at the wrong time." CSI Duquesne laid a comforting hand on Cassie's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss." _How many times is she going to say that?_  
"Thank you." Cassie picked her purse up from the bench and pulled out her note book. She wrote her cell and house numbers on it and handed it to CSI Duquesne. "That's my cell and my house numbers. I'm going back to New Mexico and my daughter."  
"Thank you." Cassie walked out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami... **

**I do own my original cherictors... **

Back at the hotel, she dialed Payton's number. "Carter." Payton answered.  
"Payton, I'm on my way back in the morning. I need to get home." she told him.  
"didn't go like you hoped?" he asked supportively.  
"No, he was killed in the line of duty yesterday."  
"Oh." Payton was quiet for a moment. "I don't know what to say Cas."  
"Payton, its okay. There's nothing you could've done. Besides, there's someone back home that I'm interested in. How's Bethany?"  
"Great, she's asleep already tonight. We went to the zoo today."  
"Okay. I'm not going to promise when I'll be home. I've gotta clear my head a bit."  
"Okay" There was a knock on the door. Cassie got up and looked through the peep hole. Lt. Caine was outside the door.  
"Listen, Payton. I gotta go. I'll call you in the morning."  
"Okay, call anytime during the night if you want. I'll be here if you need to talk."  
"Thanks Payton."  
"Bye."  
"bye." she hung up and opened the door. "Lt. Caine?"  
"I hear that you are Speed's Ex." He said. No hello, nothing. Just strait to the point.  
"That's correct."  
"And the mother of his daughter?"  
"Yes sir."  
"Take care of her."  
"I have every intention to do so sir."  
"Drive safe."  
"Thank you." Even though it was nearly dark, Lt. Caine slipped his sunglasses on as if to make a statement of some sort. He then turned and walked to his Hummer that was parked next to hers.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami... I do not own Nickelback and I do not own the songs Far Away, Photograph, and Next Contestant. **

**I do own my original cherictors... **

Cassie sat in a park somewhere in Texas. _What are you doing Cas? What are you looking for? _She looked around and leaned back. With Tim dead and Bethany needing a father she didn't know exactly what to do. She thought about what had happened the last few day's. She thought about Lt. Horatio Caine and CSI Calleigh Duquesne. She thought about Bethany back home, and Payton. His smile, his hair, his heart, the three months that he had spent in jail for Bethany. How he was Bethany's father figure. How people tended to ask if Payton was Cassie's boyfriend. Cassie watched two butterflies' flutter around together. Then she realized. She's in love with Payton. All this time she had wanted Tim to come back to her. She wanted him. She had wanted Tim to come and be Bethany's father. She had spent so much time thinking about Tim that she hadn't realized that Payton was right there. Payton was waiting. Bethany had even started calling him Daddy. It was then that she knew what she needed to do. She jumped off the bench and headed towards her Hummer. While she walked she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Payton's phone number.  
"Hello." Payton answered his phone.  
"Payton. I'm in Texas." Cassie said as she reached her Hummer and unlocked it.  
"Are you staying the night there?"  
"No, I'm just gonna keep going. I'll be home at around ten - ten-thirty."  
"okay."  
"Don't keep Bethany up. Are you gonna be there?"  
"Do you want me to stay?"  
"Kind of."  
"Okay, I'll be here."  
"Okay, I'll see you then."  
"Bye."  
"Bye." she hung up and got into the Hummer. She started the five hour journey to Belen New Mexico. As she drove she thought about how she would tell him, what she would say. She thought about Horatio Caine and Calleigh Duquesne. How they had been so kind to her. How Caine had gone out of his way to come to her hotel just to say that she need to take care of Bethany. Almost as if Bethany was his daughter. Then how Duquesne had talked to her and made a point to tell her that Tim had talked about her often. Tired of thinking Cassie turned on her Nickelback CD and listened to Far Away, Photograph, and Next Contestant over and over. Then she just let it play. As she drove her mind wandered. Her thoughts went to Payton and Bethany. _I miss them! _She couldn't help but think of how much she'd grown up since Tim had left. _A lot has happened since then. _Belen's city lights finally came into view. Cassie slowed down as she entered Belen.

When Cassie drove up to here house she smiled. Payton's Hummer sat on the curb. She parked in the driveway and opened the door. Payton came out to help her with her bags. "Payton!" she said excitedly.  
"Cas!" he said returning the enthusiasm. They hugged. She took in a deep breath and let it out.  
"It smells like home."  
"It is home." Payton pointed out as he grabbed her bags and headed in. She followed him.  
"How's Bethany." '  
"Sleeping."  
"Did she fight with you?"  
"Nope, she went right to bed." They sat her bags in her room. "Your mom already went to bed too."  
"I figured she would."  
"You hungry?"  
"Not really. I ate a burger in Texas. So, I'm good."  
"Okay, as long as you ate."  
"I did. Can we talk?"  
"Sure." They sat down in the living room.  
"Payton; while I was gone. I did some thinking. Some hard core thinking."  
"About?"  
"Well, about our friendship, about your name on the birth certificate, about how your Bethany's father figure. about my..." Payton cut her off with a kiss.  
"I thought about that stuff too. Did we both come to the same conclusion?" he said. She didn't trust herself with words. So, she just kissed him in response.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami... **

**I do own my original cherictors... **

_One year later_

Cassie, Payton, and Bethany stood in the Miami Dade Memorial Gardens Cemetery in front of the grave stone that read "Tim 'Speed' Speedle." Cassie hadn't thought much about what had happened when she was in Miami the last time and she didn't intend to do so. Tim had meant the world to her. But now, all that mattered was what he'd given her. He had given her Bethany. Because of Bethany, she had fallen in love with Payton. Because of Payton, she was pregnant with her second child. She thought about Lt. Horatio Caine. He had acted as if Bethany were part of his family. In a way she was, and still is. When you work in Law Enforcement, the people you work closely with are your family, so, their family become your family. She thought of CSI Calleigh Duquesne. She had comforted Cassie when she had needed comforting herself. She had made sure that Cassie knew that Tim had not forgotten her when he left. The people in Miami were Tim's real family. And now, they were Cassie's family as well. Payton smiled at her and they each took one of Bethany's hands and they all walked back to their Hummer. Life goes on for Cassie and her family, even if Tim was not part of it.


End file.
